Shrouded Sky

"Violet Sun Grotto-Heaven…"

Only now did Ye Fan finally understand that his encounter with Li Xiaoman and the others had not been a coincidence. Their sect was nearby.

He turned to leave immediately, he didn't want to have anything to do with the sect Li Xiaoman belonged to. During their reunion today, her calmness had bordered on cold indifference. Even though she gave him money, it felt more like an act of charity from a lofty position.

"Let me live as a good, ordinary person, and not stray from the right path… Do I really seem so pitiful?"

Ye Fan chuckled at himself. He felt no sadness, no hatred. He moved on lightly, just passing by. He thought that if they were to meet again, a smile and a nod would suffice. Sometimes, a brief encounter was a better ending.

He had already walked dozens of meters when he suddenly stopped. He had been trying to figure out how to shake off the Jiang Clan's soldiers, and now a thought struck him, could he use Violet Sun Grotto-Heaven to escape the danger?

Right now, he wasn't strong enough to confront anyone head-on. He had to think strategically.

"I can't seem to shake them no matter what I do. There must be a reason. No matter how powerful someone is, they shouldn't be able to track me so precisely…"

Ye Fan guessed that as one of the Six Great Grotto-Heavens in the State of Yan, Violet Sun Grotto-Heaven's surrounding mountains likely had Dao Runes carved into the land, mysterious forces that formed a domain unto itself. If he went inside, maybe he could sever any lingering links with the outside.

"Not bad. I can make use of this place."

After careful thought, he headed deeper into the mountains.

"Such dense spirit energy… this truly is a holy land of cultivation."

Night was falling, but purple mist still swirled among the mountains. As its name implied, Violet Sun Grotto-Heaven radiated violet light and spiritual energy. Occasional beams of sunlight pierced through like swords.

Even on the outskirts, it felt extraordinary, lush peaks and valleys, flowing springs, and verdant foliage. Many plants shimmered with subtle light, as if they were spiritual beings.

Ye Fan approached the entrance of Violet Sun Grotto-Heaven and scouted carefully, hoping to sneak in. But it proved difficult. The mountain gate was patrolled, and powerful beasts stood guard.

Two beasts lay there like twin hills. They looked like giant crocodiles but had fleshy wings. Their emerald eyes, the size of washbasins, flickered with hidden light.

"Huh? There are a few boys kneeling there… what's going on?" Ye Fan noticed a few teenagers, about sixteen or seventeen years old, kneeling before the gate.

A patrolling cultivator passed by and said, "You should leave. Your talent is too ordinary. No amount of effort will change that."

"Immortal Master, please give us another chance."

The cultivator sighed. "You've knelt for days. I'm not heartless, but your aptitude is truly too poor. You'll never pass the test. Go back down the mountain."

"Immortal Master, we ask for nothing else, just one last chance," the boys pleaded.

"Fine. One more chance. In half a month, we'll screen disciples again. Whether you can stay will depend on your own ability."

"Thank you, Immortal Master!" the boys bowed deeply.

At this moment, Ye Fan stepped out boldly.

"Who's there?" the cultivator turned around.

"Immortal Master, I've come to apprentice myself," Ye Fan called loudly.

"The next selection is in half a month. You're too early."

"My home is far away. I walked for half a year to get here, afraid I'd miss it. Please show mercy."

Ye Fan had been observing and judged this cultivator to be relatively kind-hearted, likely open to persuasion.

"This breaks the rules…"

Ye Fan put on a sincere face and told a tale of collecting coins, even begging, and traveling thousands of li over six months just to find this place.

The cultivator, who appeared only twenty-seven or twenty-eight, was indeed softhearted. Seeing Ye Fan in rags and covered in grime, he finally sighed and nodded. "Go in with them."

Ye Fan quickly thanked him and entered the Grotto-Heaven with the kneeling boys. Purple mist coiled through the immortal mountains. Palaces sat atop peaks, hazy and ethereal like scenes from a celestial realm.

"This place has even richer spiritual energy than Desolate Spirit Grotto-Heaven…" Ye Fan thought, nodding inwardly. It truly was extraordinary.

Deep in the Grotto-Heaven, lush vegetation and countless spiritual herbs thrived. A pure and gentle aura greeted them, it was a beautiful and tranquil land.

Ye Fan and the other boys were settled near a bamboo forest where wooden huts were built for the sect's servants. Disciples rarely visited.

He finally relaxed. If even here the Jiang soldiers could find him, then there was no choice but to fight to the death.

"There must be something on me that allows them to track me."

Ye Fan ruled out the green copper block, this mysterious treasure had baffled countless cultivators in the past, and now it lay dormant in his golden Bitter Sea, undetectable.

Was it the Dao Scripture? Unlikely. As long as he didn't activate it, his golden sea remained still, like dead iron, without a ripple. Outsiders wouldn't sense it.

"Could it be the 'Source' that's exposing me? But that shouldn't be possible either." Unable to figure it out, Ye Fan muttered, "Forget it. I'll just refine the 'Source' first."

Over the next few days, the bamboo grove was peaceful, no outsiders disturbed them. It was perfect for cultivation, and the Jiang soldiers never showed.

Ye Fan began refining the Source. Holding it in his palm, he melted it down cautiously, bit by bit. He feared that unleashing all its energy too quickly would trigger a spirit energy eruption and expose him.

On the sixth day, beneath the full moon, Ye Fan refined another sliver of the Source. Suddenly, his golden Bitter Sea roared with crashing waves. Alarmed, he stopped immediately and hid the Source away.

"This is troublesome…"

His special physique was hard to control. He had tried to suppress it, but the breakthrough still caused a massive commotion. The Bitter Sea was simply too powerful, if anyone sensed it, it would cause an uproar.

"Looks like I can't finish refining this Source here. I'll continue once I leave."

Still, he had made solid gains, his golden sea had expanded again. Eight new godrunes swirled above it. He forged them into the lump of divine iron, engraving Dao runes onto the green copper block through constant hammering.

The next day, peace was broken. Several young cultivators arrived and spotted Ye Fan.

"It's you… that little beggar!" They were the same disciples from a few days ago, Li Xiaoman wasn't with them.

Last night, Ye Fan's commotion had drawn attention, and some cultivators had come to investigate. Finding nothing, these few came in the morning out of curiosity.

"How did you get into our Violet Sun Grotto-Heaven? Did you come looking for Junior Sister Li?" They were surprised to see him here.

"Your sect master saw my extraordinary potential and insisted on taking me in," Ye Fan replied casually, fabricating the story.

Of course, none of them believed him, and their expressions darkened. One girl sneered, "You're really shameless, little beggar!"

Just then, a middle-aged man appeared in the bamboo forest. He walked in a circle, then stopped. "I sense the aura of a Source."

"Greetings, Grand-Uncle!" the young disciples quickly bowed.

Ye Fan was startled. This man had frighteningly sharp senses. Even though he had sealed the Source, it was still detected.

"No need for formalities."

The man had a youthful face and black hair, but his eyes were old and deep. His true age clearly didn't match his appearance.

"This guy must be over seventy or eighty years old…" Ye Fan guessed. He was undoubtedly a terrifying expert.

"It's on you…" the man locked eyes with Ye Fan.

"Greetings, senior," Ye Fan bowed.

"You're not one of our Violet Sun disciples?"

"No."

The man didn't move, yet in a blink, he appeared before Ye Fan, grabbing his wrist, it felt like he had stepped through space.

"Senior, what are you doing?" Ye Fan was shocked, thinking he was about to be attacked.

"Your constitution…" The man's expression shifted to surprise, then he shook his head and sighed. Clearly experienced, he judged Ye Fan's nature in an instant.

Ye Fan tensed. Thankfully, his golden Bitter Sea was sealed in icy silence, dead and undetectable. The man found nothing.

Ye Fan was stunned. Even this level of expert had been deceived by his suppression.

"Do you have a piece of Source?" the man asked.

Seeing no point in hiding it, Ye Fan took out the small wooden box. "I'm not sure if it is a Source, it's a Clan heirloom."

The man opened it and glanced inside. "Yes, it's Source. Not pure, but still rare. Are you willing to part with it?"

"Uh…"

"You can't cultivate. This Source is useless to you. Don't worry, I won't let you suffer. If you trade it, you'll be wealthy for ten lifetimes."

"But… I don't want to give it up," Ye Fan said hesitantly. He had only just escaped the Jiang soldiers, yet now the Source was exposed again. He felt helpless.

"You really won't trade?" the man asked calmly, not pressuring him.

"I…"

"Forget it. I won't force you. It's just a piece of Source, nothing important to me."

With that, he turned and vanished after only a few steps.

Ye Fan's heart pounded. This man was a true master.

"To think that little beggar actually has a piece of Source! Even an impure piece is more valuable than most spiritual herbs."

The young cultivators looked shocked. Some even showed greedy expressions.

"You fool, you missed a golden chance. That man was Violet Sun's second strongest cultivator. He's cultivated for just over a hundred years and already surpassed most elders. If you'd given him the Source, you'd have gained an invaluable connection…"

They began making offers for the Source, but Ye Fan refused all of them.

After they left, Ye Fan murmured, "I've escaped the Jiang soldiers for now, but revealing the Source might bring new trouble…"

Half an hour later, Li Xiaoman appeared in the bamboo forest, accompanied by the same young cultivators.

She didn't ask why Ye Fan was there. Calmly, she said, "Ye Fan, you can't cultivate. The Source is useless to you. You should trade it for blessings that would last ten lifetimes…"

Ye Fan immediately shook his head. "I'm not trading it!"